


Starstruck

by robofruit



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Bruce Banner is gay, Established Relationship, Fluff, Lighthearted, Loki's kind of a little shit, M/M, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, The Avengers Are Good Bros, The Avengers are Celebrites, Thor is like bi or pan, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, Tony is bi, a fix it but of one of my own fics, with conflict, with some of my shitty shitty goofs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-28 06:24:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15042710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robofruit/pseuds/robofruit
Summary: What exactly happens when the media finds out that the God of Thunder and a man with 7 PHDs and the world's worst temper are dating?(or- remember my fic newsflash? well don't, because this is gonna be that but much much better and different)





	1. The Panel

**Author's Note:**

> this fic was inspired my wonderful good friends over on the thorbruce discord! i love you fools

It all started with interviews. 

 

Being practically celebrities, the Avengers were sought out for panels, talk shows,  _ game  _ shows and everything in between. A lot of them ate it up, (specifically Tony and Clint, and Loki when he was allowed). Thor thoroughly enjoyed it- he’d always enjoyed attention from humans, as selfish as it sounded. Their questions were so ridiculous, and the games they sometimes made them play were fun. 

 

Bruce, however, didn’t seem too keen on them. 

 

Thor understood; he knew Bruce better than anyone, and that meant he knew how uncomfortable the man got whenever he was asked about the Hulk. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t come to terms with it- after everything, after all the fights and all the wars, Bruce and Hulk had buried the hatchet. But it also didn’t mean that the questions didn’t make him a little anxious. 

 

“Who’s the Hulk’s favorite Avenger?” 

 

“Did you turn yourself into him on purpose?” 

 

“What has been your favorite fight with the Hulk?” 

 

“How big is Hulk’s- well- y’know?” 

 

When Bruce was asked about his research, though, he lit up like a  _ spark.  _ It made Thor’s heart warm, the way he spoke with such passion, a true example of how much he’d put into his work. 

 

Needless to say, Thor was an even bigger celebrity. He ate up the attention, he loved his fans, he loved  _ everything  _ about Midgardian media. Bruce was starting to become fond of it as well. He still got squeamish during public or TV appearances, but ever since he got together with Thor, things had been seeming better. 

 

It was one day in particular where they had a pretty important interview- or at least, that’s what Tony said about it. Thor really wasn’t sure  _ what  _ to make of it- apparently it was an important press conference, and that they’d all be asking pretty serious questions. Thor had come to find that ‘serious questions’ could sometimes not be as serious as they sounded, but Tony had instructed them all to still act earnest about it. 

 

Hence why Thor was currently struggling with a bow tie. 

 

“You don’t really need the tie, you know,” Bruce remarked when Thor had chosen it for his outfit. “I’m not really a fashion guy, but it looks good without it, too.” Thor just smiled at him. 

 

“I’m taking it seriously. The bow stays.” 

 

Bruce just shrugged, taking his own suit to the dressing room- (his was blue and plaid, with a dark blue tie to match, and fancy, thick glasses that Tony had bought for his birthday. Thor was practically giddy over how stunning he looked). 

 

The decision of the bow had ensued 10 minutes ago- 10 minutes of frustrated struggling as Thor attempted to do the correct pattern of tying. It wasn’t until he heard Bruce’s dressing room door open that he rushed out, still holding the mess of a bow tie in his hands. He was taken aback at first by how cute Bruce looked in his suit, but he decided to save the compliments for when they weren’t rushing. 

 

“Bruce? I think I decided that it would be almost...Symbolic, if you were the one who tied my bow.” Thor smiled, proud of his excuse until Bruce started to giggle. 

 

“You can’t tie it, can you?” 

 

“Just put the bow on, Banner.” Thor teased, feeling heat rise to his cheeks as Bruce came closer, looping the tie around his neck and meticulously stringing it together. In any other circumstance, Thor would’ve wrapped his arms around the man, but he could tell they were already running late. 

 

Once Bruce finished, he grabbed the collar of Thor’s shirt and gently tugged on it, a small smile on his face. “There,” he concluded, giving Thor’s outfit a once over. He was wearing a white button up with black pants and shoes, complete with the black tie. “Very dapper.” 

 

Thor smiled at him, fixing a piece of Bruce’s unkempt hair- (that was Bruce’s main struggle with these events; his hair would never cooperate). “I have to admit...I’m a bit nervous.” Thor never got anxious about these events, but the way they were preparing for this one...It made it seem bigger. 

 

Bruce just smiled at him, leaning up and kissing his forehead. “Don’t worry, honey,” Bruce murmured. Thor already felt a smile creeping up on his face. “You’re gonna do great.”  

 

-

 

The waiting room only proceeded to give Thor more pressure. He could hear people on the stage already talking, though what they were saying was harder to make out. The rest of the team had picked up some chatter, but Thor found himself just studying the room. 

 

They had magazines framed on the walls, each with a celebrity on it and a ridiculous scandal written in bright, bubbly letters. Tonight, it seems, they had decided to hang up pictures of the Avengers’ magazine headlines. “Tony Stark Allegedly Bisexual” was the first one-  _ off to a good start,  _ Thor thought with a small grin. Next to it was a magazine with a picture of Steve that read, “Captain America: Superhero or Steroid-Junkie?” Thor wasn’t going to even  _ try  _ to understand what that one meant. He glazed over the rest of them, “Black Widow Isn’t a Natural Redhead”, “Clint Barton’s Hidden Struggle”- Thor knew both of those were lies off the bat. “Bruce Banner Promotes Use of Marijuana”, (that one was true), and finally, “10 Ways To Make Your Man More Like Thor”. He couldn’t help but giggle at that one. 

 

“Point Break?” The sound of Tony’s voice broke through his tabloid-induced trance. He turned to see that the rest of the Avengers were already standing up and heading over to the stage, his heart already starting to race. He was excited and happy to be there, sure, but Midgardian interviews had also always made him nervous. “You coming?” 

 

Thor just nodded, standing up and smiling. He looked down at Bruce, taking his hand and squeezing it. He knew Bruce was getting better with his anxiety, but sometimes he couldn’t help but worry. Bruce just smiled at him, squeezing his hand back- until the curtains opened. They both instinctively distanced themselves as they crossed the stage, waving at the flashing cameras and cheering fans. 

 

The interview started off slow. There was some small talk, mostly with Steve; the man could entertain a crowd well, without getting them to revved up, he could still keep them occupied. Soon, though, the magazines started to have questions. 

 

Thor looked over at Bruce, who was seated next to him and already looking like he could pass out any second. Under his designer glasses, his eyes had dark rings, and his expression was duller than Thor had ever seen it. He couldn’t help but smile a little at it- He knew Bruce would never try to be rude, even to nosy interviewers, but sometimes he wore his emotions on his sleeve. 

 

“M-My question is for Thor,” A particularly nervous-looking interviewer began, holding a notepad in one hand and a microphone in the other. He nodded at her encouragingly, but it only seemed to make her more nervous. “Um- well- A lot of rumors have been coming out about you and Jane’s relationship, can you tell us anything about that.” 

 

Thor was starting to get as bored as Bruce looked. The Jane question came every time. He formulated an answer in his head, trying to make it different than the answer he gave every other time. “Well, Jane and I have had our differences. Being in this business, it’s very difficult to have a casual relationship..,” a camera flashed in his face, and Thor gave his best smile. “However, that doesn’t mean we aren’t still friends! Jane is very dear to my heart, and she always will be.” 

 

More cameras went off, as well as applause. Thor couldn’t help but wonder what they were clapping at- all he did was answer a question. He didn’t have time to ponder it, though, as more hands shot up. 

“My question is also for Thor!” A more confident reporter announced. “In the past, we saw a lot of conflict between you and Hulk- specifically on the battlefield. Have you ever gotten over that?” 

 

Well, there was a new question. A couple people in the audience chuckled when he looked over at Bruce, who gave him a ‘go ahead’ kind of gesture. Thor smiled at him before turning back to the crowd. “Well...Yes. Of course! It’s been years, years since we last fought-” Thor thought of Sakaar, but brushed it off. The public had still been surprised to see that Bruce was  _ alive-  _ they didn’t need to know that he was on an alien planet for 2 years. “-and Hulk is one of my dearest friends. The only fights we have are merely out of love.” 

 

His cheeks prickled as the last part slipped out. Thankfully, the crowd seemed to take it as a joke, and Thor wiped some non-existent sweat from his brow. He remembered what they had decided- to keep their relationship a secret.  _ They won’t be able to handle you two going out,  _ Stark had pointed out, and that proved to be enough for the two of them. He had never really asked Bruce about it, but Thor would be proud for the public to know about them- in fact, he’d be  _ excited  _ about it. But he knew Earth was odd about two men dating, so he’d cooperate and keep it on the ‘down-low’, as Stark called it. 

 

Speaking of, he could feel Bruce starting to lean on him. Thor smiled fondly for a moment, thinking about how tired Bruce must’ve been, before remembering that Bruce was  _ leaning  _ on him. In  _ public.  _ Thor was excited at first-  _ God,  _ he’d kiss Bruce in front of all of these people and tell them to get over their fear of two men together, but he knew that was just something he couldn’t do. He tried to nudge Bruce, to keep him awake, but he was getting more questions, and he had to keep up. 

 

“Are you and Loki actually related?” 

 

Thor tried to look casual while still trying to shrug Bruce off of him. “Oh- no, not biologically,” Bruce seemed to wake up a little, sitting up in his seat and straightening his glasses. Thor breathed a sigh of relief, yet longing at the same time. “He’s adopted.” The audience laughed at that too- Thor didn’t know what was particularly funny about it, but he let out a chuckle as well. 

 

“My question is for Dr.Banner,” another reporter said, and Thor felt temporarily at ease. Bruce sat up a little in his seat, seeming like he was trying to blink back the dull expression. “How does Hulk feel about being told what to do? Being a part of a team?” 

 

Bruce glanced at Steve- another gesture that got some laughs from the audience- before he answered. “Well, I haven’t been able to talk to him about it, but seeing as he hasn’t tried to fight any of them yet, I think we’re all good.” There were some laughs, while others looked a little frightened. 

 

“He fought Thor, though, hasn’t he? Why did he fight Thor?” 

“I’m not sure. It was a long time ago.” Bruce offered with a shrug. 

 

“Do you feel threatened by Thor at all?” 

 

Bruce looked at Thor, and Thor felt himself tense up. He wanted to grab Bruce’s hand- this was uncomfortable for both of them, and the fact that both of them still had to lie didn’t make it any less tense. “Of course not,” Bruce answered, still looking at Thor. “Things happen. The Avengers have fought...Too many times to count. But we get over it. Thor is one of Hulk’s closest friends, and one of mine, too.” 

 

The audience seemed satisfied with that, thank God, and moved on to talking to the other Avengers again. Bruce seemed to fall back into a sleepy haze again, occasionally laughing at some witty comments from Tony or Clint, but ultimately staying silent. He started to lean on Thor again, but this time, Thor didn’t stop it. The audience knew they were good friends now, and friends could be this close. He didn’t have to hide- he didn’t have to wake Bruce. Besides, the spider-child informed him that Bruce falling asleep in public had become a ‘meme’. This would just be another ‘meme’, right? 

 

Questions got more light and easy, and more focused on Tony and Steve, much to the other Avengers’ comfort. Soon enough, Bruce was full on sleeping, his head laying on Thor’s shoulder. It gave Thor a warm feeling in his chest, and he couldn’t bring himself to shrug Bruce off- friends did stuff like this too. They could let this happen. 

 

What Thor didn’t notice was the cameras going off in their direction, and the cautionary stares from the other Avengers. He had absent-mindedly moved his arm around Bruce, not thinking anything of it until the questions started to come. 

 

“Um...Thor, is Dr.Banner okay?” 

 

Thor felt his skin go hot. “What- Oh! Yes! Of course, he’s just-” Thor pulled his arm back, jolting Bruce awake. He sat with wide eyes as cameras fired at the two of them, straightening up in his seat. “We’re all very tired. He’s- fine.” 

 

“Why did you have your arm around him?” 

 

“I was just-” 

 

“Is this the reason you broke up with Jane?” 

 

“There’s nothing-” 

 

“How does Hulk feel about you two being so...Close?” 

 

Thor didn’t even have time to  _ try  _ to answer that one before Tony suddenly stood up, sunglasses already donned. “That’s all the time we have, folks, sorry,” more cameras went off as the rest of the Avengers filed off of the stage, and back into their private waiting room. 

 

Thor never thought public exposure like that could make him so  _ terrified.  _ One moment, everything was fine, and the next questions were flying at him a mile a minute, each one making the unsettling feeling in his stomach stronger. 

 

“Well,” Tony said, once they were all backstage. “That was awkward.” 

 

-

 

It had been just hours since the interview and the press was already blowing up about the “Thor and Hulk” scandal. Every news station on TV was covering it, and Thor had been told by Clint that he “couldn’t even go on Twitter without seeing things about how gay they were”. Natasha had elbowed him in the side, but Thor waved him off. 

 

Bruce just seemed worried. Thor couldn’t blame him; he was worried, too. Neither of them knew what this meant, what it would mean for the team, how their image would change...And he was sure neither of them wanted to think about it. That was apparent to him when he approached Bruce in his lab. 

 

“I’m getting so close to a steady hypothesis about Asgardian biology,” Bruce had announced as soon as Thor walked in, his back to the God as he hunched over a tablet. Thor was a little taken aback; he thought he was going to come in here to talk about the problems- (not that he even  _ wanted  _ to). “I think I’ll be able to figure it out in a couple of days.” 

 

Thor just nodded, moving closer to him and looking down at the tablet. “That’s...Great, Bruce,” Thor murmured, nodding. Bruce turned to him, eyebrows furrowed. 

 

“Are you alright?” 

 

Thor just sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. “I know we both don’t want to talk about it-...” Bruce’s expression seemed to fall, and he set the tablet down on the table. “I think we should decide what to do about this.” Really, it was Thor’s nature to plan things like this out. He was raised to be a king, and raised to deal with any ‘bad’ publicity that followed him. 

 

“Thor-...” Bruce started, but he looked like he was at a loss for words. His expression was something Thor couldn’t read. “I-...I’m so sorry.” 

 

Thor raised his eyebrows. “What?” 

 

“I was making you do  _ everything.  _ Covering us up-...If I had been conscious of it, of how I was-...Of what I was doing, you wouldn’t have-” 

 

“Love, don’t-” 

 

“This wouldn't have- I mean-...” 

 

Thor just moved closer, sliding one arm around Bruce and using the other to cup his chin, bringing his head up so that they were eye-level. “My love.  _ Bruce.  _ This is my fault, not yours. I let it happen- just because I wanted it- because I wanted them to see us. Because I was angry.” 

 

“Honey, it’s not your fault,” Bruce suddenly pulled him into a hug, a long sigh escaping him as he did. Thor closed his eyes, letting himself relax into Bruce’s embrace. “We can figure this out. I swear. Let’s promise not to blame ourselves.” 

 

Thor nodded. “Promise.” 

 

Bruce pulled back, opening his mouth to say something before Tony suddenly burst in, clapping Thor on the back. “Alright you two, break it up,” he said, before passing them to move over to his desk. “I have an idea.” 


	2. Distraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When times get too stressful, it's nice to have something (or, someone) to take your mind off of it.

Tony’s idea wasn’t the best. 

 

In fact, it was  _ far  _ from the best, and Thor was quite grumpy about it, but it was all they had. 

 

“But I don’t want to marry her- I don’t even want to  _ be  _ with her.” Thor argued, crossing his arms and trying to keep a steady tone. He didn’t know who he was angry with- he knew Tony was just trying to help, he knew the media was just curious, but he figured he deserved to get a little fumed. 

 

Tony just sighed. “Listen, Point Break. We need to get the heat off your tail, and the best way to do that is announcing you and Jane  _ never  _ broke up. And a staged wedding will seal the deal. It’s not like Bruce has had any public relationships before, so this one’s on you, pal.” 

 

Thor’s fists clenched at his sides as he let out a huff of disgruntled understanding. This was their only plan, and no matter how uncomfortable it made him, he had to go through with it.  _ Because the public isn’t ready,  _ he reminded himself. His fists clenched harder.  _ Because they’ll think our love is a laughingstock.  _

 

“What if Jane isn’t up for it?” Bruce proposed. Thor had almost forgotten he was in the room- he’d been quiet the entire time, leaning against his lab table behind them. Thor didn’t think Bruce would be jealous; Bruce wasn’t like that. He went out to dinner with Jane and Darcie every couple of months, and besides, if they were even to go through with the wedding, it would be fake anyway. 

 

“Then we’ll find someone else,” Tony explained, clicking through something on the touchscreen in front of him. He looked nonchalant, as if a fake marriage was an average occurrence for him. “We’ll tell the public that she’s the reason you and Jane broke up. Don’t worry, I’m sure tons of people would be willing to pose as your wife. It happens in hollywood all the time.” 

 

“We’re not in Hollywood, Tony.” Bruce retorted. 

 

Tony shot him a look. “With the way this scandal is going, you may as well be.”

 

“ _ Wait, _ ” Thor interjected, putting a hand up. “If we’re going to find someone else to pose as Jane- assuming she disagrees- why don’t we just be honest? We can tell them that Bruce is the reason we broke up.” 

 

“We can’t,” Thor looked over at Bruce in surprise. He looked lost in thought, brow furrowed and eyes on the floor. “Even if we did tell the truth...I don’t think they’d approve. I want them to- I really do, Thor- but I don’t think it’s worth the risk.” Bruce’s eyes were on Thor now, the look in them making the God’s heart break a little. 

 

“Bruce, I’d take any risk for-” 

“ _ Hey,  _ if I’m going to help you guys, you need to keep that cheesy crap away from me, kay?” Tony interrupted, earning a glare from Thor. “You guys can use the old wedding location Pep and I have had reserved,” he put a hand up at the concerned look Bruce gave him. “Don’t worry- we’ve been looking at new ones anyway. Consider it a hand-me-down.” 

 

Thor sighed as Tony handed him the tablet, showing off a beautiful wedding chapel that seemed to be at the top of a large hill, overlooking a city. He and Bruce stared at it in silence for a few moments. 

 

“It’s beautiful.” Thor finally said. He couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholy; a location like this is where he’d want to marry Bruce. The fact that his dream wedding wouldn’t be with the one he loved like no one else...Well, it stung. 

 

Bruce nodded in agreement. “Yeah…” 

 

Tony left for the door, swinging his hoodie over his shoulder. “You guys can handle contacting Foster. That’s not my deal. Any wedding planning stuff, though, I’d  _ love  _ to do.” The sliding doors whirred closed, and Thor set the tablet down, raking his fingers through his hair with a sigh. 

 

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments. Thor’s anger had melted into bitterness, sadness, and an odd sense of jealousy. This was all happening so fast- they had been so happy for months, ever since they returned back to Earth and were able to comfort each other and get to know eachother better… Thor felt like he was throwing it away. 

 

He felt Bruce nudge his shin with his foot, pulling him back to reality. “Hey.” Bruce said. He was leaning on the wall, arms crossed over his purple button-up. 

 

Thor couldn’t help but smile a little- no matter how lame and sad it probably looked. “Hey.” he answered. 

 

“You don’t have to do this, you know.” 

 

Thor sighed. He thought about all of the flashing cameras, of the shocked looks on peoples faces, the pity from their teammates. “I’m starting to think I just might.” 

 

There was a small stretch of silence between them before Bruce spoke up again. “Have...You ever seen Jurassic Park?” 

 

Thor arched an eyebrow in confusion. “Bruce, what are you-” 

 

“It’s a movie,” he explained. “It has action, and really big...Creatures. Dinosaurs. I’ve told you about those, haven’t I?” 

 

The explanation didn’t make Thor any less confused. “I don’t think you have, but it sounds great, Bruce, though I’m not sure how monsters apply to this situation.” 

 

“Didn’t you know? I’m a master of distraction, Thor. I practically have a PHD in it.” Thor found himself wondering if Bruce spent so much time in the lab to distract himself, but his thoughts were instantly wiped away when Bruce took his hand. 

 

Thor took his hand and smiled- it was the big, goofy grin that Bruce always knew how to put on his face. “That sounds wonderful right now.” he admitted with a sigh, and Bruce smiled wider. Thor couldn’t help it- he planted an ever-needed kiss on Bruce’s lips, holding the scientist’s face in his hands and pulling him close. 

 

When they pulled back, they were both beet red, and still hovering inches from each other. 

 

“So,” Bruce breathed. “Movie night?” 

 

Thor nodded, previous sadness already replaced with giddiness. He pressed a quick kiss to Bruce’s forehead. “Movie night.” 

 

-

 

It turned out that dinosaurs were incredible, yet frightening creatures. Thor was never very good with horror movies- he found that out early on. They weren’t Bruce’s favorite either, but this one was...Different. It wasn’t very scary, to Thor, it was just fascinating. 

 

“It would be amazing if these were real.” Thor commented during the movie, absent-mindedly awestruck as the T-rex roared on screen. 

 

Bruce lit up. “They were!” Thor became just as excited as Bruce launched into an explanation of what was apparently called “prehistoric times”, teaching Thor as the credits rolled. His initial explanation was short, but Thor asked so many questions that they ended up talking long into the night, curled up on the bed across from each other. 

 

It was about an hour later when Thor could begin to hear the sleepiness in Bruce’s voice. They were leaning against each other, legs intertwined and heads resting on the wall beside them. Bruce’s eyes were drooping down, and every time they fluttered open, they just seemed to falter even more. Thor’s heart swelled at the sight; though he’d love to listen to Bruce teach him for even longer, he looked so peaceful like this. 

 

Thor wrapped his arms around him, feeling Bruce rest his head against Thor’s chest. “...Anyway, then there’s the Cretaceous period, which started...God, when was- I think 144 million years ago. Somethin’ like that.” 

 

Thor smiled, nodding and threading his fingers through Bruce’s curls. “We can stop if you’re tired, Bruce.” 

 

“Nah,” Bruce yawned, shifting a little in Thor’s arms. “I’m fine, I promise. I could do this all day.” Thor smiled and nodded again. He asked more questions, knowing Bruce would fall asleep on his own when he couldn’t manage to stay awake any longer. 

 

Eventually, Bruce’s words became more quiet and slurred, until he was just snoring quietly, head still resting against Thor’s chest. Bruce smiled, closing his own eyes and kissing the top of Bruce’s head. He laid them both down in bed, tracing the lines on Bruce’s face, moving his fingers through his curls. 

 

He couldn’t believe that the public wouldn’t approve of them; Bruce was the most captivating being Thor had ever met. No one had ever thrown Thor off his confident pedestal like Bruce had, making him so awkward and smitten in admiration. No one had ever made Thor feel so happy, so safe, like Bruce had. He couldn’t believe they had to hide this. 

 

It was almost painful to pull himself away from Bruce, but he knew what he had to do. He picked up the cellphone Stark had given him and stepped out onto their balcony. The night air was cool on him; he was only in boxers, aside from the bathrobe he’d draped over himself. He flipped through his contacts, finally finding Jane. He hesitated over her name for a few seconds before he closed his eyes and went through with the call. 

 

Thor didn’t know if he was relieved or regretful when Jane answered. Her voice was hoarse and tired sounding- (he might’ve forgotten how late it was)- and she sounded thoroughly confused. “Thor? What’s going on? Is everything ok?” 

 

“Oh- yes, everything’s fine,” Thor answered, fiddling with a loose thread hanging from his robe. “Um-...how’ve you been?” 

 

There was a pause. “Thor, we’ve talked about this- we can’t make this work. I thought you were happy with Dr.Banner now, anyway-” 

 

“Oh! No! Th-that’s not what this is about,” he stammered, feeling his face flush. He really hadn’t spoken to her since they had broken up, had he? “Well- sort of. Just-...Could you meet me for coffee tomorrow? Er- me and Bruce?” 

 

“Oh,” she answered, her voice sounding more pitiful now.  _ She must’ve watched the news.  _ “Sure. Of course. Should I just...Come to Stark Tower?” 

 

“Yeah- yeah, that’ll work. Twelve o’clock?” 

 

“Sounds good.” 

-

 

Bruce was surprised he was awake before Thor. 

 

He wasn’t any less delighted to be wrapped in the God’s arms, of course, but usually Thor was already starting to get up. Bruce pressed a gentle kiss to Thor’s cheek before he sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and checking the time on his phone.  _ 10:00. Shit.  _ It wasn’t like he needed an alarm or anything, but concerning the note on their bedside table about meeting Jane at 12, it didn’t give them a great window of time. 

 

He nudged Thor, rubbing his arm gently until he woke, telling him how much time they had before he crawled out of bed. Bruce was always able to get ready fast- on the run, he’d sleep in vacant houses, and would have to leave without a trace the next morning before anyone came in and found him. Old habits die hard, he supposed, as he stepped into the shower. 

 

It wasn’t long until he was making his way into the kitchen, only to see the rest of the team was already seated at the counter, eating various breakfast items. 

 

“Morning, Brucie.” Tony greeted, pulling himself away from the conversation everyone else was having. They seemed to have gotten another package full of magazine articles, and everyone was going through them on the kitchen table. At first, Bruce didn’t mind, but when he came to the fridge, he paused. 

 

“Morning…” He mumbled, studying the magazine that was hanging on the fridge by a red, white and blue shield magnet. The headline was printed in big, bold letters; “Are the Avengers Gay?”. On the front of it was a picture of Thor and Bruce, Thor staring down at the sleeping Bruce fondly, arm draped around his shoulders. Bruce grabbed the magazine, tugging it off the fridge. “What is this?” he asked. 

 

“I don’t know what answer you’re looking for, but it’s hilarious,” Clint replied, smiling at the magazine in Bruce’s hands. “We can’t  _ not  _ hang a relic like that up. They’re finally catching on to all of us.” 

 

Bruce just shook his head. “Don’t...Don’t let Thor see any of this, ok? He’s having a tough time with it already, and…” the truth was, Bruce was having a tough time with it, too. He’d been the one who had fallen asleep in the first place, and now everything was spiraling out of control. He’d already had a tough time with his sexuality all his life, and now it was making the front pages of every newspaper. “And he doesn’t need this.” 

 

Natasha raised her coffee cub in mock salute. “Whatever you say, Doc.” Clint raised his own mug across from her, and the rest of the Avengers gave him affirming nods. 

 

“What are we saluting?” Thor’s voice made Bruce jump, instantly whirling around to face him. He hid the magazine behind his back, Thor’s expression becoming even more confused. He looked back at the rest of the Avengers for help, but they all just shrugged at him. Bruce let out a small, panicked sigh, before he turned back to Thor and suddenly slammed their lips together, cupping Thor’s cheek. 

 

Thor seemed to forget about anything suspicious as he sank into the kiss, and Bruce would’ve enjoyed it much more without all the whistling from the team, and the all-too familiar “Get it, Doc!” from Clint. Bruce felt the magazine be snatched out of his hand by Tony, making a mental note to himself to thank his friend later. 

 

When he pulled back, Thor was just smiling, hands still on Bruce’s hips. “I just came to see if you were ready. Want to get going?” 

 

Bruce nodded, face beet read. He couldn’t bring himself to look back at the team- he was never one for PDA, (even though the kiss still had him lovestruck). 

 

They made their way out of the tower and into the already bustling city, instantly spotting Jane across the street. Bruce was about to wave before he heard a camera snap beside them, looking over to see an excited looking woman, a notepad in her free hand. 

 

“Um- could I have a moment of your time to ask some questions?” 

 

Bruce had forgotten that going in public would likely be like  _ this  _ now. 

 

“Actually, they’re busy,” Bruce thanked God for Jane as she moved in front of the other woman, waving her away before turning back to Thor and Bruce. “Jesus, guys, where you really acting  _ that  _ lovey-dovey?” 

 

Bruce just gave her a lame smile. 

 

“Nice to see you, too, Jane.” Thor joked. Bruce found himself thankful that they were at least proposing this plan to a friend- no matter how crazy it was. 

 

He just hoped that Jane actually said yes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can yall tell how much i love jane and thor's friendship, because i really do a lot

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! i promise the next chapters will be much less disappointing (hopefully?) 
> 
> every comment makes me write better fucking fics 
> 
> hmu on tumblr @fruit-butt


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